Monday 4th – Sunday 10th December was International Hour of Code week, supported by Code.org. DYW Dundee & Angus were proud to take part and provide some local context and support for Dundee & Angus in this international effort to highlight the value of and potential in learning to code. In partnership with Dundee & Angus College, DYW D&A ran #DigiTay, our first event focusing purely on digital, and the first event we have live-streamed. If you weren’t able to join us for the event, you can still find out what everyone is talking about by watching it at a time that suits you. Follow this link, #DigiTay.
The digital and tech industries are no longer the domain of ‘super-smart-scientists’ or of programmers kept hidden in dark rooms. Digital is now an intrinsic part of every job and industry and almost everyone’s daily lives. We need to begin recognising the potential and the opportunities that exist for our young people in the digital and tech industries. There are digital and tech careers available in every industry; Financial, HR, Creative, Medical, Tourist, Sport, Agricultural, Manufacturing, and more all have roles for digital employees. Scotland alone will generate 12,800 new digital and tech jobs every year from now until 2024.
The options are now limitless. The best way for young people to take advantage of this, to progress and to have a fulling career, is to begin thinking about the possibilities at a young age and begin developing the transferable skills which will take them wherever they want to go.
The #DigiTay event brought together different speakers to illustrate the growth and importance of digital, as well as illustrate the various pathways young people can follow to achieve a digital or tech career.
Rachel McEwen from DYW D&A highlighted the growth of Scotland’s digital needs. Laura Louch from Dundee & Angus College discussed the huge variety of courses and support options that exist locally for young people and teachers alike, running from primary school all the way up to HND level and into university, provided by D&A College.
Derek Robertson, a former teacher himself, and now a lecturer and researcher at Dundee University discussed the importance of getting children and young people to enjoy digital and tech. He illustrated this with a brilliant demonstration with a Makey Makey. If children and young people have fun engaging with digital and tech, their ‘buy-in’ will be greater and they will achieve far more.
If you are interested in the work of DYW, in any industry, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.